Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was ‘deadly’ and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading public

eyeball_kid · Sep 9, 2020

While not the sizzle headline, I also found this exchange very damning in terms of how Trump presents himself publicly as a "friend" to blacks:

WOODWARD: But let me ask you this. I mean, we share one thing in common. We're White, privileged, who- my father was a lawyer and a judge in Illinois, and we know what your dad did. Do you have any sense that that privilege has isolated and put you in a cave to a certain extent, as it put me, and I think lots of White, privileged people in a cave. And that we have to work our way out of it to understand the anger and the pain, particularly Black people feel in this country. Do you feel–

TRUMP: No. You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn't you? [laughing] Just listen to you. Wow. No, I don't feel that at all.

Kensation · Sep 9, 2020

jmood88 said:
I'm just tired of people holding this shit back for books. He had these tapes for months while Trump lied, and Trump-supporting government officials used those lies to justify taking no action to mitigate the virus. Hundreds of thousands of people will die, and there was explicit proof of Trump lying back in February. It's not Woodward's fault that Trump and his administration is full of evil pieces of shit, but seeing all of these held back for a book is infuriating.

It's not Woodward's job to clean up America's mess for it, he's a reporter.

BFIB · Sep 9, 2020

jmood88 said:
I'm just tired of people holding this shit back for books. He had these tapes for months while Trump lied, and Trump-supporting government officials used those lies to justify taking no action to mitigate the virus. Hundreds of thousands of people will die, and there was explicit proof of Trump lying back in February. It's not Woodward's fault that Trump and his administration is full of evil pieces of shit, but seeing all of these held back for a book is infuriating.

Had Woodward released these back in May, it wouldn't had moved a needle. Had Woodward released them even in early August, it wouldn't move the needle. We're in the general election cycle now, when shit really sticks (normally, but this is Trump), plus we have no idea what his agreement with the WH was on excerpts as part of the deal, etc.

Yoshimitsu126 · Sep 9, 2020

I want to say these are Nixon level audio tapes but this country death cult knows no bound.

Christian · Sep 9, 2020

I fully expect that when he's out of office, we'll get reports on how he ordered nukes at several countries, but they ignored him or talked him out of it.

wollywinka · Sep 9, 2020

This is a bombshell. The fallout from this will be ugly. Hopefully, the shockwaves will reach the ballot box.

LegendofJoe said:
If the Biden administration pardons Trump I will abandon the Democratic party. He must be held accountable for the death and destruction he is responsible for.

Biden has promised there will no pardon for Trump, I believe.

Biske · Sep 9, 2020

Thanks for holding onto this since February bob. Fucking hell

jmood88 · Sep 9, 2020

Kensation said:
It's not Woodward's job to clean up America's mess for it, he's a reporter.

I'm aware of what his occupation is, and that doesn't change my opinion on how disgusting it is that someone who had tapes of the president lying about a virus that has killed scores of people in this country chose to wait for his book to come out. You can ignore that, I can't.

Wackamole · Sep 9, 2020

Yeah he's a "cheerleader".
They needed a coach though.

Brinbe · Sep 9, 2020

biden going at his throat. good

Couleurs · Sep 9, 2020

Greg NYC3 said:
He won't chance leaving that to Pence, he'll try to pardon himself since there doesn't seem to be anything inherently stopping him from doing it.

Interesting; yeah he would absolutely go that way instead, to avoid having to look like a quitter.

Kensation · Sep 9, 2020

jmood88 said:
I'm aware of what his occupation is, and that doesn't change my opinion on how disgusting it is that someone who had tapes of the president lying about a virus that has killed scores of people in this country chose to wait for his book to come out. You can ignore that, I can't.

It would not have made a difference. Trump already escaped impeachment.

Koo · Sep 9, 2020

Kensation said:
It's not Woodward's job to clean up America's mess for it, he's a reporter.

It's more people feel he has a duty to report what's happening before it gets worse.

Like, 'Hey, that guy over there is going building and building shooting people. I should write a book about this.'
vs immediately telling people so they can save themselves and others, and possibly this guy can be stopped from killing more.

eyeball_kid · Sep 9, 2020

jmood88 said:
I'm just tired of people holding this shit back for books. He had these tapes for months while Trump lied, and Trump-supporting government officials used those lies to justify taking no action to mitigate the virus. Hundreds of thousands of people will die, and there was explicit proof of Trump lying back in February. It's not Woodward's fault that Trump and his administration is full of evil pieces of shit, but seeing all of these held back for a book is infuriating.

While I (and the Founders) think that the press and an educated populace are a vital check against tyranny and corruption in government, I kind of want to give Woodward the benefit of the doubt here simply because he does thorough research and may not have wanted to jeopardize ongoing interviews by leaking stuff during that process.

modestb · Sep 9, 2020

This is this week's "This is it, right? This is the thing that finally brings him down a meaningful amount?"

Deleted member 4614 · Sep 9, 2020

Nif said:
I don't think he can be convicted in time for something like this unless he pulls a Vic Mackey or something.

Pardons can precede charges (a la Nixon)

dodo · Sep 9, 2020

Kensation said:
It's not Woodward's job to clean up America's mess for it, he's a reporter.

he should have reported this one a little faster maybe

Avitus · Sep 9, 2020

Koo said:
It's more people feel he has a duty to report what's happening before it gets worse.

Like, 'Hey, that guy over there is going building and building shooting people. I should write a book about this.'
vs immediately telling people so they can save themselves and others, and possibly this guy can be stopped from killing more.

Trump already survived impeachment and the GOP wouldn't give a fuck about any of this.

shinobi602 · Sep 9, 2020

We don't know what sort of agreements or contracts were made to when these interviews could be made public. Kind of feels like people are jumping to conclusions that they were held back intentionally.

It's a catastrophe on the administration's part and a stain on the country that we've lost so many now. At the same time this sort of information wouldn't have moved the needle or had as much of an effect if it was released months ago. We some 50 odd days away from the election where the public is hyper aware and attuned to news. This is when this shit hurts. I'm saddened for how many we've lost and yet acknowledge this will stick stronger at this point in time. Whatever it takes to get this motherfucker out before he destroys us all.

Deleted member 24052 · Sep 9, 2020

modestb said:
This is this week's "This is it, right? This is the thing that finally brings him down a meaningful amount?"

It's just more ammo to use against him leading up to the election.

A barrage of constantly negative press due to his own evil/stupidity is a good thing.

Kensation · Sep 9, 2020

dodo said:
he should have reported this one a little faster maybe

It would not have made a difference. The same amount of people would have died, Trump's enablers already gave him the golden ticket to get away with anything.

Tobor · Sep 9, 2020

jmood88 said:
I'm aware of what his occupation is, and that doesn't change my opinion on how disgusting it is that someone who had tapes of the president lying about a virus that has killed scores of people in this country chose to wait for his book to come out. You can ignore that, I can't.

I hear what you are saying, and I get it. I will add that there is an argument to make that is information would have had no impact back in February, or that it has more potential for impact now.

Ultimately, if Trump is defeated and this plays a part, than lives will still have been saved.

Sean C. · Sep 9, 2020

"Man, I wish Nixon had been this forthcoming."

Starmud · Sep 9, 2020

The anger from everyone should be palatable... even China clearly laid it out for him what the virus was and what type of measures would be needed. Instead he played stupid and fed people his hoax/why mask or close bullshit. Meanwhile his enablers told us he shoots from the hip and it's just how he talks, or hell full on agreed it was a hoax.

Servbot24 · Sep 9, 2020

Obviously. This isn't news. Everyone has just been putting their hands over their eyes and ignoring common sense.

TheGreatMightyPoo · Sep 9, 2020

Servbot24 said:
Obviously. This isn't news. Everyone has just been putting their hands over their eyes and ignoring common sense.

The audio sure is...

T002 Tyrant · Sep 9, 2020

Even if Trump ever got charged he'd be on house arrest in a luxury flat. Even rich-persons-prisons are like spas. No matter what they'll be no justice, and it saddens me that such a Twunt can exist in such a position of power.

I think the most frustrating part is he's so blatant about it all, that no matter what he does nothing seems to get in the thick skulls of his followers and the republican voters that would change his mind. He could literally execute a small child on camera - and his followers would immediately be making excuses about how the child was asking for it. Just angers and upsets me.

cartographer · Sep 9, 2020

Servbot24 said:
Obviously. This isn't news. Everyone has just been putting their hands over their eyes and ignoring common sense.

There's a lot in here that is news if one wants to use their eyes and brain.

Deleted member 4614 · Sep 9, 2020

dodo said:
he should have reported this one a little faster maybe

Maybe? September isn't a bad time for it though. Late enough to not be forgotten but early enough to influence people's perception of Trump.

This is all assuming it's Woodward's primary intention to influence the election which I don't think it is, I think it's to document and report what's going on and what's going wrong.

The fact that he makes money off of it seems not super relevant? Like you're making money off the valuable thing you made? Alright, sounds good

Tobor · Sep 9, 2020

shinobi602 said:
We don't know what sort of agreements or contracts were made to when these interviews could be made public. Kind of feels like people are jumping to conclusions that they were held back intentionally.

It's a catastrophe on the administration's part and a stain on the country that we've lost so many now. At the same time this sort of information wouldn't have moved the needle or had as much of an effect if it was released months ago. We some 50 odd days away from the election where the public is hyper aware and attuned to news. This is when this shit hurts. I'm saddened for how many we've lost and yet acknowledge this will stick stronger at this point in time. Whatever it takes to get this motherfucker out before he destroys us all.

This is also true. We have no idea if Woodward signed a timed NDA or the like.

samoscratch · Sep 9, 2020

Chrome Hyena said:
You can't fake news audio of him answering direct questions, in his own words. He said in response to withholding Covid info, quote "I do it and I continue to do it!" There is no way to lie about this

It doesn't matter, I went to the ask trump supporters subreddit and they don't care, making excuses left and right, there is no gotcha moment or aha moment and there never will be.

Deleted member 43084 · Sep 9, 2020

TheGreatMightyPoo · Sep 9, 2020

samoscratch said:
It doesn't matter, I went to the ask trump supporters subreddit and they don't care, making excuses left and right, there is no gotcha moment or aha moment and there never will be.

Trump's cult is irrelevant.

He can't win with just them.

Doran · Sep 9, 2020

You will never change his base, no matter what you get him on. You have to fire up everyone else to vote him out. This should do that.

RailWays · Sep 9, 2020

modestb said:
This is this week's "This is it, right? This is the thing that finally brings him down a meaningful amount?"

There won't be a single instance that brings Trump down. If he loses, it'll have been a death by thousand cuts.

Random Painted Highway · Sep 9, 2020

amazing stuff here. just remarkable.

dodo · Sep 9, 2020

shinobi602 said:
We don't know what sort of agreements or contracts were made to when these interviews could be made public. Kind of feels like people are jumping to conclusions that they were held back intentionally.

It's a catastrophe on the administration's part and a stain on the country that we've lost so many now. At the same time this sort of information wouldn't have moved the needle or had as much of an effect if it was released months ago. We some 50 odd days away from the election where the public is hyper aware and attuned to news. This is when this shit hurts. I'm saddened for how many we've lost and yet acknowledge this will stick stronger at this point in time. Whatever it takes to get this motherfucker out before he destroys us all.

this isn't a case where a small no-name reporter or anonymous source has information nobody would believe without vetting, it's bob fucking woodward. if it wasn't a cynical move, it was certainly one of massive negligence and/or incompetence.

Kensation said:
It would not have made a difference. The same amount of people would have died, Trump's enablers already gave him the golden ticket to get away with anything.

this doesn't really have anything to do with my complaint. of course trump is going to act like trump. regardless reporters shouldn't shrug their shoulders and go "well what's the point" just because the subject they're reporting on is a tough cookie lmao

m_shortpants · Sep 9, 2020

Biske said:
Thanks for holding onto this since February bob. Fucking hell

Trump hadn't done anything in Feb. Now we know what his actual response was, and what he privately thought. This is far more damning.

Cat Party · Sep 9, 2020

Plumbob said:
Pardons can precede charges (a la Nixon)

This was never tested. People have always just assumed that Ford could pardon Nixon for crimes that he was never charged with. SCOTUS would have to answer this question and it's anyone's guess how Roberts would view it.

cakely · Sep 9, 2020

Servbot24 said:
Obviously. This isn't news. Everyone has just been putting their hands over their eyes and ignoring common sense.

It absolutely is news.

This isn't "common sense" it's audio tape of the sitting President admitting that he's been downplaying and lying about a virus that went on to kill 200k Americans.

krazen · Sep 9, 2020

Plumbob said:
Assuming good intentions, maybe he thought other accountability mechanisms had failed, and the election was the only real mechanism to remove Trump from office. In which case he'd be correct.

Yup! Id argue it's less of a thought, but common sense now.

These tapes would not have taken down the President; there's no smoking gun here that's smokier then the 8,732 other scandals we've faced (hell, even the scandals during this coverup, remember when the Fed's were stealing the state's supplies?). This is only a couple of months after the GOP went out of their way to cover for him during an impeachment, this wasn't going to even make Trump sweat.

THAT SAID, we can argue that this would have made it more difficult for the WH to downplay the disease ("Back to normal by Easter") and make us generally more prepared on an individual level but considering we are years into the Trump Gaslighting Misinformation Machine, I don't even think THAT'S guaranteed. It feels like Woodward is getting heat because who else can we get mad at? He had never had access to any path to control Trump as a reporter, but the other books flying around by ex-staff members...

Deleted member 3542 · Sep 9, 2020

Dude needs to be put on trial for this shit. Direct responsibility.

Wraith · Sep 9, 2020

Username1198 said:
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the administration's top infectious disease expert, is quoted telling others Trump's leadership was "rudderless" and that his "attention span is like a minus number."

"His sole purpose is to get reelected," Fauci told an associate, according to Woodward

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

"attention span like a minus number"

LMAO

Fauci quotes letting us know Trump in private is exactly what we've always thought, same as we've heard from other former insiders for years. Rudderless leadership, unfocused, no attention span, focused solely on himself.

A bit more on Fauci from the WaPo piece:

Fauci at one point tells others that the president "is on a separate channel" and unfocused in meetings, with "rudderless" leadership, according to Woodward. "His attention span is like a minus number," Fauci said, according to Woodward. "His sole purpose is to get reelected."

In one Oval Office meeting recounted by Woodward, after Trump had made false statements in a news briefing, Fauci said in front of him: "We can't let the president be out there being vulnerable, saying something that's going to come back and bite him." Pence, Kushner, chief of staff Mark Meadows and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller tensed up at once, Woodward writes, surprised Fauci would talk to Trump that way.

Woodward describes Fauci as particularly disappointed in Kushner for talking like a cheerleader as if everything was great. In June, as the virus was spreading wildly coast to coast and case numbers soared in Arizona, Florida, Texas and other states, Kushner said of Trump, "The goal is to get his head from governing to campaigning."

And right after that, we find out GWB didn't want any part of this, either:

Woodward writes that Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) suggested former president George W. Bush speak personally with Trump about global vaccine efforts, but that Bush demurred.

"No. No," Bush told Graham, according to Woodward. "He'd misconstrue anything I said."

Kensation · Sep 9, 2020

dodo said:
this isn't a case where a small no-name reporter or anonymous source has information nobody would believe without vetting, it's bob fucking woodward. if it wasn't a cynical move, it was certainly one of massive negligence and/or incompetence.

this doesn't really have anything to do with my complaint. of course trump is going to act like trump. regardless reporters shouldn't shrug their shoulders and go "well what's the point" just because the subject they're reporting on is a tough cookie lmao

Would you rather him release a haphazard version of the story, or would you rather him release it when he had all the receipts?

rokkerkory · Sep 9, 2020

Amazing but unshocking =/

Trup1aya · Sep 9, 2020

This guy just admitted to lying... on record...

Im here for the mental gymnastics his supporters will spew now.

Grizzel Greedigut · Sep 9, 2020

His base will never drop him. That would mean that they were wrong. It would be like picking a new baseball team when yours is losing and as a Cubs fan, this is something you just would never do.

Humidex · Sep 9, 2020

I'm angry. We're angry. But shocked? No. His indifference to the crisis has long been suspected. Now it's there in the open.

But does it move the needle? I hope it does to the undecided. Other will have made up their minds long, long ago.

Tagg · Sep 9, 2020

Daaaaaaaamnn. Even audio tapes to back this up. Democrats, this is all the fuel you need.

cakely · Sep 9, 2020

"Play it down, keyboard twat"

Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was ‘deadly’ and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading public

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